Perez, who finished second behind Verstappen in the previous two races of the 2024 F1 season, has always had to make up ground from a lower starting position. He started in fifth place in Bahrain and third place in Saudi Arabia. Despite the penalty, Perez believed there was more potential in his qualifying performance in Australia. He acknowledged that his first sector was not good and he couldn’t connect the whole combination on his last attempt. However, Perez remained optimistic and eagerly awaited the race, anticipating a tough battle with Ferrari and the rest of the pack due to high tire wear. He believed that the starting position was not a significant factor at the moment.
